Regeneration chiefs have called on the Government to back an economic masterplan to overhaul Teesside’s transport network.

Major improvements to local air, rail and road links are a key part of the Evening Gazette-backed NEvolution campaign, which calls on ministers to support the region in its plans to boost economic growth.

The campaign highlights bottlenecks on the A1 and A19 and insufficient rail freight capacity as significant barriers to growth.

It says these issues - and several others - could be tackled if more money and decision-making powers were devolved from central Government to local authorities and local enterprise partnerships.

Business leaders have praised the campaign for putting transport at the heart of Teesside’s economic masterplan.

Regeneration body Tees Valley Unlimited, which runs the local enterprise partnership, said good transport links were “fundamental” to the economic prosperity of the area.

Steve Payne, strategic transport manager for TVU, said: “There’s a case to make the transport network more reliable and efficient for people and businesses travelling around the region. We have a number of high-level priorities.

“For international connectivity we would like to improve links around the port and airport. Both of these are critical to the local economy.

“We would also like to see improvements to the long-distance road and rail networks.”

He championed calls for the electrification of the Northallerton to Middlesbrough rail line and said upgrades to Darlington railway station could improve Teesside’s connectivity with London and Scotland.

“The East Coast Mainline is a vital artery and a strategic link to Teesside,” he said. “Darlington Station is effectively the gateway to the main line network but at the moment it’s a very constrained operation.”

The North East Chamber of Commerce said local exporters would benefit from improvements to Teesside’s air, rail and road infrastructure.

Mark Stephenson, NECC infrastructure specialist, said: “Businesses depend on links that on one hand allow people to get to and from work and on the other enable businesses to move their goods easily.

“The North-east has been done a disservice by consecutive Governments which have neglected infrastructure investment in our region. This is why we have called upon decision-makers to address the pinch points that businesses and commuters have to face every day.”

He also backed a recommendation from the Transport Select Committee to scrap the controversial Air Passenger Duty, which has been widely blamed for falling passenger numbers at regional airports.